The Ben Mulroney Show - Avengers: Endgame - Re-Releasing Blockbuster Movies

Episode Date: October 10, 2026

On today's episode of "The Ben Mulroney Show," Ben welcomes back Charlie Keil, Professor at the Cinema Studies Institute at the University of Toronto. He has published six books, many focusing on aspects of silent cinema.  They discuss the re-releasing blockbuster movies, such as Avengers: Endgame. Books by Charlie Keil If you enjoyed the podcast, tell a friend! For more of the Ben Mulroney Show, subscribe to the podcast! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://link.chtbl.com/bms⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Also, on youtube -- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@BenMulroneyShow⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Ben on Twitter/X at https://x.com/BenMulroney Insta: ⁠⁠⁠@benmulroneyshow⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠@benmulroneyshow⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠@benmulroneyshow⁠⁠⁠   Executive Producer:  Mike Drolet Reach out to Mike with story ideas or tips at [e-mail] Enjoy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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And then it was Avengers Endgame. But then Avatar got re-released and it became Avatar again. And then Avengers Endgame got re-released and it is now number one again. What's with all the re-releasing of these massive movies? Well, let's check in with somebody who knows more about this than I. Charlie Kiel, he's a principal professor of cinema at the Cinema Studies Institute at the University of Toronto. Professor, I think you probably have the coolest job in the world.

Thank you. So this is a fairly new trend. I mean, we've seen this past. We've seen this in the past. Lucas film re-released films once they had been restored. But this isn't that. Well, no, well, first of all, I should say, because I'm a film historian, this is not a new phenomenon.

They've been re-releasing films since films were being released. So the trick is to release it in such a way that you invite a lot of audience interest. So it's about timing. It's about the nature of the film you're re-releasing. And it's about, I mean, another subset of timing would be the time when you're releasing it in relation to when other films are out there. Yes. So it all plays into it.

Yeah. And my nephew, who is the biggest Spider-Man fan in the world, was very excited to hear that they were going to be re-releasing the new source. Spider-Man, which is now the, what, the number one domestic grossing film of all time, I think third or fourth on the, on the global list with some significant new scenes coming out. Is that, I mean, you could just release that as part of the, you know, the streaming package if you wanted, but is it because they think there's more juice to squeeze out of the

cinema experience? Oh, absolutely. And, you know, the people who want them to do the squeezing the most are theater owners. Yeah. Because they want to keep people in those seats. And if you've got a proven property that people are willing to go to, I mean,

if you look at, for example, the Nolan films of the last couple of years, but a lot of that money has come from not all new. Yeah. Well, I want to move on to,

I want to move on to James Gunn because I was very excited when he took over the DCU. I think he has a real love for that type of filmmaking. And, and, you know, his path towards the, DC is was unique.

It's never going to be repeated. He's, I guess he's the beneficiary of being canceled temporarily by Disney. And, and he's getting into a little bit of hot water because his movie Clayface is coming out. Now, Clayface is a very famous bad guy in the Rokes Gallery of Batman. And so there are some people who are doubting his decision making as sort of the chief creative over there at DCU.

that he's, you know, why, when you have all these great characters, why are you focusing on Clayface? And his answer was, well, who the hell asked, who the hell asked for a back to the future? Which I think is true. Like, nobody was really asking for Guardians of the Galaxy, and he turned them into household names. So how do we know whether somebody is ahead of the curve

or creating the need? What goes into that? The way you tell is when the film comes out and whether it's any good. I guess so. That's the first thing. Yeah. And whether people respond to it.

I mean, you know, the rebooting of Superman was heralded as a great success. And then Super Bowl came out and nobody went to it. Yeah. Yeah. So it's partly, it's the combination of factors. I mean, the IP only sells itself so far. Yeah. And it's about whether do you have a fresh vision.

I mean, I think Guardians of the Galaxy was popular in part because it was the Marvel films were getting up a bit of a bit. self-serious. Yeah. And they were very predictable in the way they were putting together the elements. And then here comes Guardians of the Galaxy. Isn't taking itself seriously at all. In fact, is full of needle drops that are deliberately retro and a lot of characters just goshing around.

And people found that a nice alternative to what they were used to. So it depends what he does. I mean, I think you probably doubt him at your peril. Yeah. But it's a coin flip in terms of. this will work for him. Yeah. I mean, I've seen stand-up comics,

uh, professor, uh, put themselves in the room as the filmmakers were pitching back to the future. And he says, and once you hear it, you can't believe the movie ever got made. A teenager has a very odd relationship. Relationship with an old man who sends him back in time where his mom tries to sleep with him and, and they are relationships just multiple. And for some reason, I think it was Disney at the time under one of their other banters

said, let's do it. And people loved it. So you never know what people are going to love. Yeah. I mean, first of all, you can't necessarily listen to the marketing people because they want things that they can, that are pre-sold effect. And you can't totally predict the public. I mean, if you could, if only you could.

However, when you try something that's out of the box, chances are if it does, catch, then you are laughing. Yeah. To the proverbial bank. You know, who would have guessed that the big breakout hit from last year would be obsession? Yeah. Oh, I agree.

And no one was asking for backrooms. And, uh, yeah. And so, yeah. Well, they might have been asking for back rooms. If you look at, look at the, um, presence of those. Well, yeah. But, but, but translating something from online into something success. to a large screen.

Think about how hard it was for anybody to square the circle and take a video game property and turn it into a successful film. So, uh, and this, you know, this goes back to the age old. If you have a filmmaker who has shown him or herself to be innovative in the way they treat something,

you're going to give them a lot more license the next time around credit. Irwig with Barbie and now doing Narnia. Um, that Craigor with, you know, first, barbarians, then weapons, and now Resident Evil. There's a way in which, yeah. You entrust people with things that seem risky when they've done things that are risky

that have worked. Professor, lastly, before I let you go, as a film historian, do you have a favorite movie or have you just seen too many of them and you view them too clinically that you can't say you have a favorite? it. I never tell my students that have a favorite because that never works well for you, I will say. But also then I usually just, I list of an obscure title. I know they have been heard. And I mean, either makes them want to go see it or it just makes some realization. Yeah, I see, I always tell people when they ask me what my favorite movie is, I always say, I'll tell you my favorite movie, but I recognize in telling you this, it's not the best movie I've ever seen. It's just my favorite movie.

And my favorite movie ever is The Great Escape, followed very quickly by Ferris Bueller's Day Off. And I think that's those two movies sum me up. And then you're trying to get away from, you're trying to get away from things. Yeah, good point. I didn't even think about that. You're absolutely right. Can I ask you, though, do you have a guilty pleasure that you're,

your students aren't listening, I promise you? Is there, is there, are you a superhero fan? Are you, are you, look, Christopher Nolan loves the fast and the furious movies, unapologetically. Yeah, that's an interesting choice on his, part. You know, if I had a guilty pleasure, I think I could do better than just stumbling what I'm doing right now mentally. I don't know that I do. I think any film that I really like, I think I can justify as not having to feel guilty. Okay. I'm trying to, I'm trying to drill down into your

professor. I'm going to try another kick at the can here. Okay. Let's say, let's say you're walking across the street and you don't notice that car is bearing down on you. And I save your life. And you say, Ben, anything I can do for you. And I say, I tell you what, doctor, I tell you what, professor, you and me, we are going to go. I'm going to rent out of theater. And you and I are going to watch Alvin and the chipmucks. No. Okay. That's all I got. You know what? I want to see that. I want to get to know the man behind the study. And I think I got to know you a little bit better. Charlie Kiel from the Cinema Studies Institute at the University of Toronto. I'm giving thanks for you today, sir.

I hope you have a great Thanksgiving. Oh, thank you very much.